SP or SE

jules · Postby **jules** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 1:32 pm

Keep it open. Everyone's behaving!

Jules

ASE05 · Postby **ASE05** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 10:13 pm

I think if the SP and SE were to have sold on the floor at the same time, most would go for the SE. Well over 10K difference between the two of 'em when new(that's if my memory serves me correctly on the pricing of the SP when it was released?).

KIJIMA · Postby **KIJIMA** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 11:21 pm

They came in black in very limited numbers, but that is not why I replied to this thread. :roll:

This topic is OLD ! Isnt the reason we have a search funciton here so we dont have to regurgitate what has already been said again and again!

~ LEARN TO USE THE SEARCH FEATURE!

Garry · Postby **Garry** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 9:48 am

Well over 10K difference between the two of 'em when new

When the SP was released a non-turbo MX5 was retailing for more than the price of the SE when it was released so the comparision isn't really justified. Mazda had to slash the price of the non-turbo and introduce the turbo model to keep sales going till the NC was ready.

jules · Postby **jules** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 9:59 am

KIJIMA wrote:They came in black in very limited numbers, but that is not why I replied to this thread.

This topic is OLD ! Isnt the reason we have a search funciton here so we dont have to regurgitate what has already been said again and again!

~ LEARN TO USE THE SEARCH FEATURE!

My search feature never works. Perhaps it's Firefox??

Jules

Sean · Postby **Sean** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 7:07 pm

jules wrote:
KIJIMA wrote:They came in black in very limited numbers, but that is not why I replied to this thread.

This topic is OLD ! Isnt the reason we have a search funciton here so we dont have to regurgitate what has already been said again and again!

~ LEARN TO USE THE SEARCH FEATURE!

My search feature never works. Perhaps it's Firefox??

Jules

I'm an IE user and search rarely works for me either.

ASE05 · Postby **ASE05** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:14 pm

Garry wrote:
Well over 10K difference between the two of 'em when new

When the SP was released a non-turbo MX5 was retailing for more than the price of the SE when it was released so the comparision isn't really justified. Mazda had to slash the price of the non-turbo and introduce the turbo model to keep sales going till the NC was ready.

So that would make the SE a bargain then hey :mrgreen:

?

Garry · Postby **Garry** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:39 pm

So that would make the SE a bargain then hey

Not sure about a bargain, but good value. Unfortunately the SP wasn't a bargain or in my opinion particularily good value but then there wasn't much else around with a better performance/handling compromise for cheaper at the time.

ASE05 · Postby **ASE05** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:40 pm

Garry wrote:
So that would make the SE a bargain then hey

Not sure about a bargain, but good value. Unfortunately the SP wasn't a bargain or in my opinion particularily good value but then there wasn't much else around with a better performance/handling compromise for cheaper at the time.

Can't argue with that.

jules · Postby **jules** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 9:32 am

Garry wrote:
So that would make the SE a bargain then hey

Not sure about a bargain, but good value. Unfortunately the SP wasn't a bargain or in my opinion particularily good value but then there wasn't much else around with a better performance/handling compromise for cheaper at the time.

The price would have reflected the "custom" nature of the beast, and the Aussie labour time involved. What were they again? about $55k-75k range?

It was a lot of development time for 100 odd cars

Jules

Casey · Postby **Casey** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 12:39 pm

Garry wrote:
So that would make the SE a bargain then hey

Not sure about a bargain, but good value. Unfortunately the SP wasn't a bargain or in my opinion particularily good value but then there wasn't much else around with a better performance/handling compromise for cheaper at the time.

I'll disagree on this point. The SP offered WRX STi performance at, funnily enough, a WRX STi price. To get a better ragtop you needed to fork out $125k odd for a Boxster S. Great value IMHO.

The SE was also great value for money at its performance level too, especially considering the price of the std MX5.

Garry · Postby **Garry** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 9:13 pm

It was a lot of development time for 100 odd cars

I've heard stories of $30K being spent on emissions testing alone! :shock:

When you add in the $30K odd of warranty work they did on my car I dont think Mazda made much money out of them even at the price they charged.

Postby **Okibi** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 10:59 pm

Garry wrote:
..When you add in the $30K odd of warranty work they did on my car...

How much of that was usual NB8B issues and how much the SP mods?

Garry · Postby **Garry** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 11:28 pm

Cost wise around 60% general MX5 stuff 40% SP specific. Mazda spent a HEAP of money and time trying to fix the cold start rattles that a few other non-SP's seem to suffer from and remember my car was the 3rd prototype SP made so there was some bodgy stuff done like chipped turbo blades and preproduction exhausts that didn't fit properly. The production cars were built a lot better than mine, though they dont go as hard as the first 3 cars. :mrgreen:

A lot of the problems with the SP specific stuff was caused by Mazda not training their technitions on how to fix the SP. There was a lot of time wasted toing and froing between head office and the dealership. One example was my EGR pipe. I had 4 replaced because no one told the guys at the dealership how it was supposed to be fitted. (not that it was particularly hard to fit) The first one failed because it was a preproduction version that didn't work. The proper one was used in all the production cars but not my car. The dealership fitted new production versions but they fitted them wrong 3 times. Once Mazda HO got involved it was installed correctly and I haven't had any problems with it since.

I've had lots of stuff like that going on for the first 3 years of ownership. Not to mention other problems caused by an incompetant dealership but dont get me started on that :evil:

Finally everything seems to be sorted now though. :mrgreen: